The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas
Abstract Local support for protected areas (PAs) is necessary for their long‐term success and is important for participatory conservation and sustainable management of PAs. However, the support for PAs depends on several factors such as perceived benefits and costs from PAs, and demographic factors....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Conservation Science and Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70003 |
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| _version_ | 1849772799668781056 |
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| author | Kamal Thapa David King Amy Diedrich |
| author_facet | Kamal Thapa David King Amy Diedrich |
| author_sort | Kamal Thapa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Local support for protected areas (PAs) is necessary for their long‐term success and is important for participatory conservation and sustainable management of PAs. However, the support for PAs depends on several factors such as perceived benefits and costs from PAs, and demographic factors. We carried out 845 household surveys in two PAs of Nepal in the Himalayas and in a lowland area (Terai). Overall, local people were supportive of PAs and had high conservation awareness. Decision‐tree analyses revealed that perceptions of benefits strongly influenced the support for PAs. Among socio‐demographic variables, spatial location, ethnicity, and education status influenced the support for PAs. We recommend focusing on mitigating or reducing costs that arise from the management of PAs while also providing benefits to local people. This should be prioritized for distant communities that provided the least support for PAs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-141337c8e2f54ac8bdec29b34a20143b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2578-4854 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conservation Science and Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-141337c8e2f54ac8bdec29b34a20143b2025-08-20T03:02:14ZengWileyConservation Science and Practice2578-48542025-03-0173n/an/a10.1111/csp2.70003The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areasKamal Thapa0David King1Amy Diedrich2College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland AustraliaCollege of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland AustraliaCollege of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland AustraliaAbstract Local support for protected areas (PAs) is necessary for their long‐term success and is important for participatory conservation and sustainable management of PAs. However, the support for PAs depends on several factors such as perceived benefits and costs from PAs, and demographic factors. We carried out 845 household surveys in two PAs of Nepal in the Himalayas and in a lowland area (Terai). Overall, local people were supportive of PAs and had high conservation awareness. Decision‐tree analyses revealed that perceptions of benefits strongly influenced the support for PAs. Among socio‐demographic variables, spatial location, ethnicity, and education status influenced the support for PAs. We recommend focusing on mitigating or reducing costs that arise from the management of PAs while also providing benefits to local people. This should be prioritized for distant communities that provided the least support for PAs.https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70003attitudebuffer zonedecision‐tree analysisHimalayasnational parkNepal |
| spellingShingle | Kamal Thapa David King Amy Diedrich The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas Conservation Science and Practice attitude buffer zone decision‐tree analysis Himalayas national park Nepal |
| title | The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas |
| title_full | The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas |
| title_fullStr | The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas |
| title_short | The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas |
| title_sort | influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas |
| topic | attitude buffer zone decision‐tree analysis Himalayas national park Nepal |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70003 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kamalthapa theinfluenceofperceptionsanddemographicfactorsonlocalsupportforprotectedareas AT davidking theinfluenceofperceptionsanddemographicfactorsonlocalsupportforprotectedareas AT amydiedrich theinfluenceofperceptionsanddemographicfactorsonlocalsupportforprotectedareas AT kamalthapa influenceofperceptionsanddemographicfactorsonlocalsupportforprotectedareas AT davidking influenceofperceptionsanddemographicfactorsonlocalsupportforprotectedareas AT amydiedrich influenceofperceptionsanddemographicfactorsonlocalsupportforprotectedareas |